Ignition-lock fob motob-vehicles



A..LANDGRE N AND NI. B. EWERS.-

IGNITION LOCK FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.= APPLICATION man IAN.|7,1A91B.

1,325,521. Patented Dee. 23,1919. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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iGNITION LUCK FR MOTOR VEHICLES.

AFPLlCATION FLED IAN- IT, 191B.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- dftoicnm UNITED STATES FFICE.

ALF LANDGREN AN-1`3 MAX B. EWERS, 0F HIGHLAND PARK, MICHIGAN.

IGNITION-LOCK ron Moron-VEHICLES.

n i Specification of Letters Patent.

APatentedDec. es, i919.

Applicatim filed January 17, 1918. Serial No. 212,195.

against the unauthorized use. of va motur-.

vehicle by associating with the spark-plugs of the engine a means vfor short-circuitmg the same when the engine is idle to prevent the effective closing of the ignition circuit, said means being actuable from the dash of the vehicle throu h key-controlled mechanism which is so oused and lincased as to effectively prevent tam ering therewith.

` In attaining this o ject the invention contemplates associating with the spark.

plugs a rock-shaft, carrying a plurality of contact arms engageable with the respective plugs in one position of said shaft, which isy housed together with the plugs in a casing comprising a lower portion permanently secured to the cylinder heads of the engine,`

and an upper portion removable only by mani ulation of key-controlled mechanism, whic may, if desired, be the same mechanism whereby the rock-shaft is actuable.

This object is attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is aview showing in side elevation'I the upper portion of the cylinders of a motor .vehicle engine having associated. therewith a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the removable portion or ing on dotted line 4-4 of Fig. 3.and in diposltiony eating by dotted lines an actuated of the locking mechanism.

, Fig. 5 is a similar view in cross section on dotted une 5 5 of Fig. a

In these views, the reference character 1 designates the engine c linders of amotor ".Yehile, and 2 the spar -plugs of sa1d`cyltween said walls.

inders. 3 is a cable formed by a plurality of conductors 4 which are individually led to the several spark-plugs. As a provision for vsimultaneously sl'iort-circuiting said plugs, a rock-shaft 5, grounded to the cylinders, is mounted adjacent the plugs and a plurality of contact arms 6 are so positioned upon said rock-shaft that al slight rotation of the latter will bring them to bear respectively upon the plugs. The rock-shaft is adapted to be actuated through a key-conftroiled mechanism, 7 -being a key insertible in a lock 8 to turn abarrel 9 from which barrel an arm 10 projects for engagement with anarm 11 upon the rear end of the rockshaft. When the lock barrel is turned in one direction, the arm 10, acting upon the arm 11, rotates the rock-shaft in a direction such as toraise the contact-arms 6 from the spark-plugs, and upon turning of the lock barrel in the other direction, the arms 6 are lowered so that they may engage the spark plugs owing to the action of a coiled spring 12 upon the rock-shaft. Since tampering with the mechanism just described must be prevented, there is provided a casing for said mechanism which forms also a mounting therefor. The lower portion of this casing is permanently attached to the cylinders and comprises a bottom 13, orificed at. 14 to lit over the spark-plugs, and double side walls 15 maintainedV in a fixed spaced relation by blocks 16. A housing 17 for the actuating mechanism is also included in the fixed portion of said casing, said housing being located preferably in an opening 18 in thel dash 19 so that the lock 8 which is .mounted in the rear wall of said housing may be readily accessible fromthe drivers seat of the motor vehicle. 'At one end the rock-shaft 5 is journalcd in the front wall of the housing 17, and abracket 2O forms a bearing for the otherv end of said rock-shaft, said bracket being mounted upon an upright plate 21 at the front ofthe casing. The upper portion of the easing is detachable and comprises a top 22, sides 23 and an end wall 24, the lower edges of the side walls being insertible betweenethe double side walls 15 and being each/formed with a plurality of bayonet tongues 25 engagcable with said blocks 16 mounted rigidly in the spaces be- The end wall 24 is also formed with a tongue 27 which is engaged in a slot 28 in the plate 21 by the same adjustment of the upper portion of the casingI that establishes said bayonet joint connection.

The removable portion of the casing must ofcourse be normally locked .in place, and

' preferably this function is performed by the same ylocking member 8 that controls the rock-shaft. Thus there is mounted upon the barrel 9 a lug 27 engaging the hooked end 28 A of a bolt 29 engageable in an aperture 30 of a tongue 31 rearwardly projecting from one of the walls 23. A frame 33 within the housing 17 forms a mounting for the bolt 29 and a spring 34coi1ed upon the bolt within said frame resists disengagement-of the bolt from said aperture. 30. It will be apparent that so long as saidV bolt and tongue are engaged,

vthere can be no longitudinal movement of the top portion of the easing vwith relation to the xed bottom portion thereof, and consequentlythere' can be 'no unfastening of the bayonet joints which establish connection A between the two portions of the casing.'

To hold the lock adjusted in its various positions of use, a.spring detent 35 is employed, the same being engageable with any one of three notches 36 formed inthe periphery of a disk 37 carried by the barrel of the lock. In two of the positions of the barrel determined by engagement of said detent in said notches,

and inclined as shown in full lines in the same figures. When said arm is vertical the short-circuiting the sparking points so as to contact arms 6 are held raised above the spark-plugs, this being theposition of the parts when 'the engine is running. When the arm 10 is inclined, the members 6 bear upon the sparkI plugs, short-circuiting the same and thereby interrupting the circuit and rendering the engine' inoperative. When the detent engages the third notch, the' lug 27 Twill haveY acted through the hook 28 to draw divert the ignition circuit to prevent the thearm l() is respectively vertical as shown in dash lines in Figs. 4 and 5 plugs,

shaft for respectively bearing uponl the` functioning of the spark plugs and the operation of the engine.

What we claim is: .1. In a motor vehicle ignition lock, the combination with the engine spark-plugs, of a casing inclosing said spark-plugs and comprising a portion permanently secured to the engine and a detachable portion, means for interrupting the ignition circuit at the spark-plugs carried by the lirst-named portion of the casing, and a common means carried by the same portion of the Acasing' for locking the interrupting means against actuation and for locking together the two portions of the casing.

2. In a motor vehicle ignition lock, the combination with the engine spark-plugs, of a casing inclosing said spark-plugs and comprising a portion permanently secured to the engine and a detachable portion, a rock-shaft mounted upon the fixed portion of the casing` and grounded therethrough to the engine, contact arms carried by said rock-shaft for respectively bearing. upon the sparki plugs in one position of the rock-shaft, a lock through which the rock-shaft is actuable, and means controlled by said lock for maintaining the two portions of the casing in engagement.

3. Ina'motor vehicle ignition lock, the combination with the engine sparlcplugs, of a rock-shaft lmounted adjacent the sparkcontact arms carried by said rock spark-plugs in one position of the rock-shaft, a spring acting upon said rock-shaft tending to effect engagement of the contact arms with the plugs, and a lock through which the rockshaft is. actuable to disengage the .contact -arins from the plugs.

4. Ina motor vehicle ignition lock, the combination with the engine spark-plugs, of

plugs, contact arms carried 4by said rockshaft for respectively hearing upon. the

.spark-plugs in one positionor the rock-shaft,

a lock through which said rock shaft is actuable to positions effecting engagement or disengagement of the contact arms with lthe slmrk-plugs,- and a spring detent associated witlnsaid lock to maintain it fixed in various positions. y

In-'testimony whereof we sign this specification. y

ALF LANDGREN. MAX B. EWERS.

a rock shaft 'mounted adjacent the .spsrk-l i 

